The Farda Briefing

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition, I'm looking into growing concerns in Iran about the Taliban's new dam that threatens the water supply of millions in northeastern Iran.

What You Need To Know

• New Dam, More Water Problems: Iran's water crisis is going from bad to worse as the Taliban's Pashdan Dam on the Hari River threatens the city of Mashhad's main water supply. Despite longstanding agreements, Iran's water share is being cut off. Experts blame both the Taliban's disregard for neighbors' rights and Tehran's failure to act on warnings.

• Iran Rejects E3 Offer To Extend 'Snapback' Deadline: Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Iranian media this week that Tehran believes European powers "do not have the right to extend" the deadline of the so-called "snapback" mechanism to reinstate UN sanctions. The mechanism -- a provision under the 2015 nuclear deal -- is set to expire in October. Britain, France, and Germany, known as the E3, have threatened to trigger it by the end of August if there is no progress in talks between Iran and the United States. They have offered to extend the October deadline to incentivize Iran. Look out for my explainer on the "snapback" mechanism on August 24.

• Kremlin Allies Iran, Belarus Agree To Up Defense Cooperation: Iran and Belarus, both under sanctions that constrain their trading options, agreed this week to enhance bilateral defense relations during President Masud Pezeshkian's first official trip to Minsk. Pezeshkian said that Iran could assist Belarus in "neutralizing" restrictions, drawing on Tehran's long experience in navigating Western economic pressures. Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko called Pezeshkian a "friend" and offered to cooperate on a range of issues, "from providing your country with food to military-technical cooperation."

The Big Issue

Reservoir 'Dried Up'

Iran's deepening water crisis is primarily driven by prolonged drought, chronic mismanagement, and the impacts of climate change. The crisis is so bad that officials say Tehran is becoming uninhabitable and Israel is hoping it will get people to revolt against the Islamic republic.

Making an already bad situation worse is the Taliban's launch of a hydroelectric power station at the Pashdan Dam. Located on the Hari River in northwestern Afghanistan, the dam threatens to cut off the main water supply to Mashhad -- Iran's second-largest city with roughly 3.5 million residents.

The Taliban, with whom Iran maintains ties but does not officially recognize as Afghanistan's rulers, started filling the dam last year and launched the power station on August 14.

Iranian media say that with the diversion of the Hari River toward the Pashdan Dam, the Doosti Dam downstream -- which supplies Mashhad -- has nearly "dried up."

Why It Matters: Water rights have long strained relations between Iran and Afghanistan, which share a 900-kilometer border. The Hari River flows through Afghanistan into Iran's Khorasan Razavi Province, supplying water to millions of people in the northeast.

The Taliban's dam projects -- including the Salma and Pashdan dams and the planned Tirpul and Ghofghan projects -- have disrupted the river's flow, worsening Iran's water crisis.

This comes despite agreements granting Iran about 820 million cubic meters annually, a quota the Taliban has not honored. Tehran has repeatedly urged "reasonable and equitable use" of the river under international law.

The Taliban frames dam construction as part of its economic self-sufficiency strategy, claiming the Pashdan Dam will irrigate 13,000 hectares of farmland in Herat.

What's Being Said: While Iran had raised no serious objections during 14 years of construction, officials condemned the project once the dam was filled, calling it a violation of Iran's "customary rights." Similar disputes have arisen over the Helmand River.

The moderate conservative newspaper Jomhuriy-e Eslami, which was among the last Iranian papers to stop labeling the Taliban as "terrorists," described the group's behavior toward Iran as "hostile."

"No government would remain silent in the face of hostility, let alone make concessions," the paper said, suggesting that Tehran has not adopted a hard enough stance against the Taliban.

Tehran-based journalist Azadeh Mokhtari wrote on X that the Taliban's moves highlight "weakness in water diplomacy" in not just Iran but the wider region.

"Who will you blame for this weakness in water diplomacy -- some power in the East or the West?" she added.

Expert Opinion: Fatemeh Aman, a political analyst on Iranian and Afghan affairs, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that Iran's water crisis is rooted in years of mismanagement and a pattern of ignoring, or imprisoning, environmentalists.

The Taliban has exacerbated the problem with its growing appetite for dam building, which she said has been happening without any sort of agreements with Iran.

The Taliban, she said, "either disregard their neighbors' water rights or refuse to acknowledge them altogether."

She also criticized Iranian authorities for depending on shared water sources to supply several provinces, arguing that this strain could have been avoided if warnings had been heeded and proper measures taken over the years.

That's all from me for now.

Until next time,

Kian Sharifi

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here . It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.

Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition, I'm looking at the back-and-forth between Iran's president and Israel's prime minister after the latter said he would help Iran with its water problems only after the Islamic republic collapses.

What You Need To Know

• Iran, Israel Trade Jabs Over Water Shortages: Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian's dire warning this week about the scale of the water crisis facing the country led to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu releasing a video telling Iranians that Israel is "happy" to help -- as soon as the Islamic republic is toppled. Pezeshkian, however, responded by accusing the Israeli prime minister of hypocrisy, given the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

• Rights Watchdog Accuses Israel Of 'Apparent War Crime': Human Rights Watch (HRW) this week said Israeli air strikes on Tehran's Evin prison on June 23 were "unlawfully indiscriminate" and an "apparent war crime." The attacks hit multiple buildings, killing at least 80 people -- prisoners, visitors, and staff -- according to Iranian officials. HRW said there was no evident military target. The strikes occurred during a 12-day conflict between June 13-24, during which HRW documented violations of the laws of war by both Israeli and Iranian forces. The rights group called for full investigations and accountability for those responsible for any possible war crimes.

• President Says Rebuilding Without Diplomacy Futile: This week, Pezeshkian warned that without diplomacy with the United States over Tehran's nuclear program, the country risks further conflict. He criticized opponents of talks, warning the United States could strike rebuilt nuclear facilities. Days later, lawmaker and former Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said parliament may press for Iran to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if the so-called E3 countries of Britain, France, and Germany reinstate UN sanctions. Those countries have threatened such action if no diplomatic breakthrough with Washington is reached by the end of August.

The Big Issue

Helping A 'Free' Iran

Amid soaring temperatures, power blackouts, and widespread water rationing, Pezeshkian painted a grim picture of the nation's water woes. He warned that "there won't be any water in the dams by September or October."

Pezeshkian described the situation as "a serious and unimaginable crisis," pointing to depleted reservoirs and underground sources.

Then, Netanyahu seized on Pezeshkian's remarks with a direct video message to the Iranian people. Framing Iran's "thirst for water" as akin to its "thirst for freedom," the Israeli premier positioned his country as a potential savior, leveraging its expertise in water recycling and desalination.

"Once you are free from the tyrannical regime that oppresses you, we in Israel will be happy to help the people of Iran solve the water problem, among other things, and bring back water to your lives," he said, mirroring comments he made in a video back in June 2018.

But Pezeshkian fired back, saying in a cabinet meeting and then on social media that Netanyahu was only promising a "mirage."

" A regime that deprives people of Gaza from water and food says it will bring water to Iran? A MIRAGE, NOTHING MORE," he said.

Over 100 organizations, including Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), signed a letter this week urging Israel to end the "weaponization of aid" in Gaza, warning that starvation is worsening. They say they are increasingly blocked from delivering aid unless they meet new Israeli rules.

Why It Matters: Iran is grappling with a severe water crisis exacerbated by years of drought, decades of mismanagement, and climate change. Tehran risks running out of water in weeks, according to Iranian officials, with reservoirs like Karaj Dam at just 6 percent capacity. Nationwide, provinces face shortages, power outages, and rationing. This has led to office closures and calls for conservation.

Israel's official reasoning for launching an aerial campaign against Iran in June was that Tehran's nuclear program posed a threat to its existence. But the rhetoric from Netanyahu and other Israeli officials suggested that regime change was at least an aspirational aim.

What's Being Said: Pezeshkian has found himself in hot water with hardliners, who accuse him of aiding Netanyahu's rhetorical attacks on Iran with his comments about the water crisis.

"What should we do when our president has become the 12^th player of the opposing team and passes the ball to the enemy?" Hamid Rasaee, a hard-line lawmaker, wrote on X, using a soccer analogy. "He's not a traitor, but he is ignorant of the position he holds."

Conservative pundit Ali Mousavi slammed Pezeshkian for his "thoughtless" comments, which he said "provided a platform for Israeli psychological operations and propaganda."

Pezeshkian has defended himself, writing on X that "solving a problem begins with acknowledgment, not denial."

The president's supporters, meanwhile, have praised him for being "honest" with the public about the extent of Iran's water crisis.

Expert Opinion: Damon Golriz, a lecturer at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that it is "hard to believe" Netanyahu's "call to rise up and help with freedom" as Israelis had the chance to eliminate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the June war but did not.

"Experience shows that messages like this are broadcast on the verge of military action by Israel to weaken the morale of rulers," Golriz said. "Both sides understand the temporary cessation of hostilities -- the June cease-fire -- is extremely fragile."

That's all from me for now.

Until next time,

Kian Sharifi

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.